The Man with the Wicked Grin
by 520Nakita
Summary: This is the story 'The Tell-Tale Heart' By Edgar Allan Poe, but in the perspective of a mouse. We had to do this as a report in school, which sadly, I was told would be the only story we would write... BUT I SHALL NEVER GIVE UP! ONE OF THESE DAYS, WE SHALL WRITE AGAIN! (Like I'ma stop :3) Anyways, enjoy! :)


By Sarah - -

11-02-12

POV; The Tell-Tale Heart

Everyone always thought we were the vermin. We were labeled the dangerous pests that society never wanted. Yeah, like you'll be thinking that I'm the vermin after I tell you the story of the man with the wicked grin…

It was the end of the week, midnight to be exact, and I was scurrying my way across the floor, making my way back to the section in the wall that I called home. I heard footsteps from behind me, making my large ears bob. Not the sound of little paws padding along the floor. No- it was a thud from what I had heard. Like a humans footsteps. You could tell that the human was trying to conceal their footsteps and prevent them from making any sound against the old creaky floor boards.

He moved slowly and stealthily across the hall-way. It was the madman, well at least that's what I had called him. He stopped in from other same door he had for the past seven days; always that same time at night, as well. He looked around with an almost insane look on his face. The light source he was holding had somehow come less intense and only a little crevice of light was shown from it. He slowly started to peek into the room.

I swear it seemed like it had taken at least an hour, if not more for him to get the door far enough open for him to peek his head through and watch the old man as he slept. I'd seen the man before. He had a disfigured eye, which always made my whiskers tremble whenever I would see it.

I heard a creaking sound, snapping me out of my train of thought. I guess the madman had adjusted something or another, because I heard the old man from inside the room say, "Who's there?"

Suddenly a tink started to sound from somewhere around. I glanced around the hallway, trying to see what could be causing the noise. It seemed to grow louder and louder as I kept looking for its source, but it seemed I couldn't find the object that was producing the sound… There! The water had caught the light as it dripped down, making the thunk noise as it hit the floor.

A shriek sounded from the room. I was half scared out of my wits from it. As I quickly scurried to my hole, I heard crashes and thuds coming from inside the room as well. The weird thing was the madman was gone. The one who had watched the old man in his sleep was gone.

The next morning I walked out to hear it was eerily silent. I looked around, seeing no one was there, and scurried off to the old man's room to find answers to my questions about last night. As I entered, I saw the old man wasn't there and I was somehow suspicious that everything was still in its same place after last night ruckus.

As I pondered on that thought, a potent smell hit my nose, making me wince. It was clearly fresh, not even a human could yet smell it. It smelt of something decaying- something of… flesh and blood.

At that moment I realized what the human had done to the old man. He had killed him and shoved the old man under the floor boards where he could stay and rot. I scurried out of the room, fear pumping through my tiny little heart.

About an hour or so later, I heard people talking down stairs. Footsteps echoed as the voices started to make their way up. I poked my head out to see who it was. The madman himself was first to be seen with that same sick grin as the night before. He was followed by 3 other men, who appeared to all be wearing uniforms. They stepped into the room; the old man's room. The same one where he had stuffed the old man like a box under the floor boards

I began to think that the same fate would come to the men as well. But as time when on, there were no shrieks or cries or screams. Only chatter came from it.

_Tink-Tink-Tink_

It was the same sound as the night before. I glanced around, and sure enough, the water had begun to drip again.

_Tink-Tink-Tink_

It grew louder and louder, but the men kept on talking, not even bothering to come out and see what it was. I began to wonder what was going through the madman's minds. If the memories of his kill had come back to haunt him.

_Tink-Tink-Tink_

The sound kept one coming. Minute, after minute, after minute, it kept on going. But still, the men kept on talking.

_Tink-Tink-TINK_

A yell erupted from the rooms. It was the madman himself.

"Villains," He shrieked, "dissemble no more! I admit the deed! Tear up the planks! Here, here! It is the beating of his hideous heart!"

What? It was not the old man's heart that had been beating, but the water on the floor. He was for sure insane, but my thoughts on him did not matter. The only think that did…

The man with the wicked grin had been caught.


End file.
